Southward.

                                            Tuesday - Dawn - leaving the Crouch - engine on.

To Ramsgate


My plotter showed this trip to be just over 41 nautical miles and it calculated the tides for the day and indicated the best time to leave my first way point (inner Crouch buoy) was 05.00.

Up at 03.00 - weather report - Gibraltar Point to North Foreland Sw 4-5  reducing to 3 later.

Not bad.

Prepared my flask of boiling water - lashed it into a corner of the cockpit.


Prepared my goodie box - lashed that into it's corner.


Prepared charts and log sheets.


Raised the anchor at 04.15 - just getting light - Nav lights on.


A fishing boat passed - going home after a night fishing.


I motored out of the Roach and turned right to seaward - Good start.


Next to no wind so motored out of the Crouch.


Called Thames Coast Guard @ 05.15 and logged in for the trip.


Passed a cargo ship - inbound for the dock upriver from Burnham.

A seal popped his head up 10 yds from Blazer @ 05.47.

At the Gunfleet wind farm  06.49 - going well.

                                                             Gunfleet Wind Farm.



I turned More towards the South and the wind picked up - Foresail out - plus engine - plus tide - 7.2 Knots!! over the ground.

The tricky bit was to have enough depth of water ( I was on a falling tide) to cross Middle Sunk sand bank.

The plotter calculated 4.0 metres at the time I should cross it  - must not be late!!

As I crossed - the depth sounder showed the minimum to be 4.5 metres - I must have been early.

On to Fishermans Gat to cross another sandbank to the Thames Estuary proper.

Another Massive wind farm being constructed - not on my chart - London Array - perhaps.

Lots of traffic and anchored boats to negotiate - I could see North Foreland.

Onward to the Thanet windfarm - (working)  I was contacted by the guard vessel Bianca!!

If I continued my course - I might enter the 500 metre exclusion zone around the windfarm.

I WAS 1.5 MILES AWAY!!!

I altered course.

As I got to the Elbow buoy off North Foreland the sky went black - the coast disappeared - the wind picked up - foresail away.

It poured with rain - I could hardly see.

Fortunately it cleared for me to enter Ramsgate Harbour at 12.40.

A quick trip.

Logged out with the Coast Guard - Some shopping - A pot of whelks from the stall by the marina.

A pint of real ale in the Mariners Bar.

Wonderful.

Mike.